Web winding apparatus



Nov. 6, 1962 J. P. LOOP WEB WINDING APPARATUS INVENTOR. James PLoop 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25 1960 J. P. LOOP WEB WINDING APPARATUS Nov, 6, 1962 5 Sheets-Shut 2 Filed May 25, 1960 f M 4 15! d n/T 5 MW I Nov. 6, 1962 Filed May 2 19 FIG. 6

FIG. 7

l I I l I lggg Nov. 6, 1962 J. P. LOOP 3,062,471

WEB WINDING APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1960 5 Sheats-Sheet 4 i 240 El 57 5a 25 25 INVENTOR.

.a/ 60 58 JamesPLoop Nov. 6, 1962 J. P. LOOP WEB WINDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 25, 1960 INVENTOR. James BLoop Q ea hfllywufl 7f g t Tia Unite 3,052,471 WEB WINDING APPARATUS James P. Loop, Kokomo, Ind., assignor to Continental gttzlel Corporation, Kokomo, Ind., a corporation of n iana Filed May 25, 1960, Ser. No. 31,723 9 Claims. (Cl. 242-81) The present invention relates to apparatus having utility in winding wire webs or open mesh wire fabrics into coils, and more particularly to highly improved apparatus for securing the leading ends of such webs or wire fabrics to coiling mandrels upon which the webs or Wire fabrics are wound, and for readily releasing the same from the mandrels when the coils have been formed and are stripped from the mandrels.

The present invention, as will later be apparent, is readily suitable for use in the production of a great variety of wire fabrics which may be comprised of a plurality of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending line wires that are interconnected by longitudinally spaced, laterally extending cross wires. Such fabrics may be of the relatively heavy welded type of the kind often used in the reinforcement of concrete, or they may be of lighter weights, whether welded or woven. Accordingly, where the terms wire fabric or wire web are used herein, it is intended that the terms be interpreted broadly.

In production, wire fabric is often formed in long webs and those having any substantial length are commonly wound into coils to facilitate storage, shipment and bandling. Such coiling is usually accomplished by winding the web about a rotatable mandrel having means associated therewith for securing the leading end or leading edge of the web to the mandrel preparatory to the coiling or winding operation, and having means for stripping the coiled fabric web from the mandrel following the winding operation. One of the Web securing means heretofore used with such mandrels has been a more or less unitary hook bar that has been slidably received in a longitudinally extending slot in the cylindrical surface of the mandrel, the bar being provided with fixed hooks for grasping the endmost cross wire of the Web. While web retaining hook bars of the kind just mentioned have been widely used, they have had serious disadvantages. Inasmuch as the hooks of such a retaining bar have been in engagement with the inner part of a finished coil at the time the coil is completed, it has been necessary that the entire bar he slipped longitudinally out of its slot in the mandrel as the finished coil or roll is stripped from the mandrel. Thus, every time a finished coil has been stripped from a mandrel, it has been necessary to replace the hook bar in the mandrel preparatory to another winding operation. This has required time consuming handling of the hook bar and has exposed the hook bar to possible damage each time a stripping operation has taken place. Furthermore, the fixed hooks of the hook bar have often interfered with the line wires of the web when the line wires were of certain spacings, and in some cases, particularly where the cross wire engaged by the hooks of the bar has been of smaller gauge than the line wires, objection able deformation of the web or fabric has taken place.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a highly improved web retaining and handling apparatus which overcomes or avoids all of the disadvantages of the prior devices just mentioned. Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for releasably securing wire fabric to a fabric coiling mandrel, which means permits the stripping of coiled fabric from the mandrel without interference and is instantly available for a succeeding fabric coiling operation upon completion of the stripping operation. Yet an- 1-; 3,062,471 lQg Patented Nov. 6, 1962 other object of the invention is to provide a wire web or wire fabric winding apparatus having improved web retaining means for securing the leading end of the web to a winding mandrel and having an improved stripping or brace plate or collar which causes the web retaining means automatically to be moved to a retracted position within the mandrel so as to clear the plate during relative stripping movement between the plate and the mandrel.

In accordance with the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of individual hooks are pivotally mounted in a novel but simple and sturdy manner within a longitudinally extending, radially opening slot in the mandrel and are selectively and individually movable along the slot for longitudinal adjustment so as to render the improved mandrel assembly and the hooks readily adaptable for use in winding Wire fabric webs having different spacings between the line wires thereof. The individual hooks are shaped so as to provide a positive mechanical interlocking with selected ones of the line wires of a wire fabric web, particularly during the first revolution of the mandrel, and the hooks are so shaped as to facilitate and make easy the release of the hooks from the engaged wires during the stripping of the coiled fabric from the mandrel. The hooks are also constructed so as to prevent undesired grasping of the other line wires or the cross wires during the stripping operation. Furthermore, the hooks and a stripping collar or brace plate of the stripping mechanism cooperate so as to avoid interference therebetween during the stripping operation and during the subsequent reconditioning of the stripping mechanism preparatory to another winding operation. Although the hooks remain in their adjusted positions longitudinally of the mandrel during the entirety of a Winding and stripping sequence, the hooks are radially displaceable with respect to the mandrel from an extended or exposed position, wherein the hooks project outwardly for engagement with the line Wires, to a retracted position wherein they lie substantially within the slot of the mandrel so as to clear the wires of the roll or" coil of the wire fabric or web during thestripping oper-' ation. The extension and retraction of the hooks is automatic and fool-proof for all practical purposes and does not require the attention of an operator.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide improved apparatus of the character described above, and having various of the advantages specified above while being rugged in construction, efficient and relia ble in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Further features of the invention pertain to the par-- ticular arrangement of the elements of the wire fabric coiling apparatus, whereby the above outlined and additional features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the fol lowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of wire fabric coiling apparatus incorporating the present invention, the apparatus being of a type which includes a double man drel that is shown in fabric Winding position;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the same apparatus but showing the double or divided mandrel withdrawn in a stripping operation, hydraulic apparatus for operating the double mandrel being schematically represented;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on a slightly enlarged scale, taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 in FIG. 1, showing the relative disposition of the leading end of a Wire fabric web and the web retaining means during the first revolution of the mandrel following the securing of the end of the web to the mandrel;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the web and mandrel as seen substantially from the position of the line 77 in FIG. 6;

FIGS. 8 to 12 are a sequence of enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional views taken longitudinally along the hook retaining slot of the mandrel and showing one of the fabric engaging hooks in various operating positions, FIG. 8 showing the hook in its normal extended position, FIG. 9 showing its position as it is about to receive a line wire of a wire fabric web, FIG. 10 showing the line wire in its retained position during the first revolution of the mandrel, FIG. 11 showing the hook in the position it occupies during the second and subsequent revolutions of the mandrel, and FIG. 12 showing the hook in recessed position within the slot as the hook clears one of the line wires during the stripping of the Web roll from the mandrel;

FIG. 13 is a generally schematic elevational view of a wire fabric web coiling apparatus of another type incorporating the present invention, the apparatus being of a single mandrel type in which the finished coil is pushed from a free end of the mandrel during the stripping operation, as indicated by the broken lines in the view; and

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 13, showing by broken lines the manner in which the apparatus may be rotated about a vertical axis so that the finished roll, when stripped from the mandrel, may be deposited on a conveniently disposed conveyor or the like (not shown), by means of which the roll may be carried away.

The details of construction by which the mandrels of the two types of machines illustrated in the drawings are supported and driven are not, of themselves, a part of the present invention. These details have accordingl-y been illustrated in a largely schematic fashion inasmuch as both types of machines, broadly speaking, are well known to those skilled in the art. Referring first to the double mandrel type machine seen in FIGS. 1 and 2,. the machine may be suitably mounted upon a concrete base that is provided with a longitudinally extending recess or well Zita, within which there are mounted, in any suitable fashion, two pairs of parallel ways 21 and 21a (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The pair of ways 21 are located at one end of the well 20a and the ways 21a are located at the other end, as indicated in FIG. 2. Coperating slides 22 slidably rest upon the ways 21 and support an upstanding pedestal 23 which, in turn, rotatably supports one mandrel half 25. Similar slides slidably rest on the ways 21a and support an upright pedestal 26 which rotatably supports the other mandrel half 27 in axial alignment with the mandrel half 25. It should thus be understood that the two pedestals may be moved toward each other on their respective ways so as to bring together the free ends of the axially aligned mandrel halves and 27, as in FIG. 1, or they may be moved apart to the position shown in FIG. 2 to retract or separate the mandrel halves. Both of the mandrel portions 25 and 27 are driven by chains 28 which engage sprockets 29, secured to the respective mandrels, and sprockets 30 which may be slidably mounted on a common spline shaft 311. This shaft is rotatively supported in any suitable manner on the base 20 and may be driven by a single motor 32. The motor maybe mounted on the base 20 in any suitable fashion.

The two pedestals 23 and 26, with their respective mandrel halves 25 and 27 and other associated apparatus, may be caused to slide toward and away from each other by the operation of pneumatic or hydraulic apparatus of the general kind schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. This apparatus is shown as including cylinders 34, cooperating pistons 35, and piston rods 36 that are connecting to the respective pedestals. It will be apparent that a suitable fiuid entering the inner 01 facing ends of the cylinders under pressure will cause the pistons 35 to move outwardly and the pedestals 23 and 26 to move away from each other. Such fluid flow is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. It will also be apparent that fluid flow in the direction opposite the arrows in FIG. 2, namely fluid flow into the outer ends of the cylinders and out of the inner or facing ends of the cylinders, will cause movement of the pedestals toward each other. During such movement the sprockets 30 will slide along the spline shaft 31.

Through these means the facing ends of the mandrels 25 and 27 may be brought into engagement as shown in FIG. 1 and may be withdrawn outwardly beyond respective cooperating brace plates or stripping collars 38 and 39. These particular collars may be fixedly supported on the base 20 by any suitable form of frame work generally designated by the numeral 40. The collars 38 and 39 closely encircle the respective mandrel halves 25 and 27, as illustrated in FIG. 5, whereby they effectively serve to strip coiled wire fabric from the mandrel halves as the mandrel halves are moved from the positions of FIG. 1 to the positions of FIG. 2.

A fabric supporting rack or table, generally designated by the numeral 41, is provided below the double mandrel 25, 27 and this table may include bars or rails 42 extending in the direction of fabric movement. It is intended that wire fabric 24 (FIG. 3) be fed along the rack 41 to the coiling apparatus such that the forward end of the fabric may be releasably secured to the double mandrel and subsequently coiled thereon. As indicated above, the present invention concerns a novel form of apparatus for releasably securing the wire fabric to the mandrels, and to the cooperation of such apparatus with various elements of the basic fabric coiling apparatus, all as described immediately below.

The apparatus for releasably securing the wire fabric 24 to the mandrels includes a plurality of books 51, associated springs 52 and associated hook supports or mounts 53. These devices are received within axially extending slots 54 in the mandrels 25 and 27. The slots are of T-shape cross section, with the base or narrow portion of the T opening to the cylindrical surface of the mandrel. The two mandrel halves 25 and 27 are angularly oriented so that the slots 54 therein are substantially aligned.

Each of the hook supports 53 comprises an intergral or single-piece, inverted T-shaped block having cross-sectional dimensions that are slightly less than the cross-sectional dimensions of the slots 54 so that they may be slidably received therein. The lower portion 56 of each block is of such width and thickness that it substantially fills the inner, wide portion 54a of the slot 54, whereas the upper portion 55 of each block is narrower and is of a width such that it may fit within the outer, narrow portion 54b of the slot 54. It will be apparent that each hook support 53, when disposed within a slot 54, cannot be removed from the slot except by axial sliding movement along the length of the slot.

It is intended that each hook support 53 fit freely within its slot 54 so that it may be adjustably positioned axially of the associated mandrel by sliding movement along the slot. Each hook support is releasably secured in adjusted position by a pair of set screws 57 and 58 which are threaded through the support 53 and bear against the bottom wall of the slot 54, as seen in FIG. 8.

The left hand end of the upper portion 55 of each book support (as viewed in FIG. 8) is provided with a projecting nose portion 55a, the underside of which has thereon a sloping stop surface 5517 that extends downwardly toward the adjacent junction of the two block portions 55 and 56. At this junction the immediately adjacent portions of the block are milled out or otherwise cnt away to form a partial cylindrical bore 59 having one open side and having an axis disposed transversely of the T-shaped slot 54. Rotatably arranged within the partial bore 59 there is a partial, laterally extending cylindrical body 64 forming the right hand end of the associated hook 51, whereby the hook is pivotally mounted on the hook support 53. It should be noted that the body of the hook support 53 extends substantially more than 180 about the center of the bore 59, whereby the cylindrical body 60 cannot escape therefrom through the open side of the bore. It should also be noted that the cylindrical body 60 extends about an even greater angle before merging into adjacent shoulders, whereby pivotable movement of the hook 51 with respect to the hook support 53 is permitted. The entire body of the hook 51 may be of substantially the same width as the upper portion 55 of the hook support 53, whereby the hook 51 may pivot freely within the slot 54. Each hook 51 is assembled with its corresponding block or hook support 53 simply by sliding the cylindrical body portion 60 endwise into the bore 59 of the block before the block is slipped into an end of the slot 54. Thereafter, the walls of the upper portion of the slot retain the hook against lateral movement within the bore 59.

The leaf spring 52, shown secured to the hook 51 by a pair of screws 61, is of such form as to bear resiliently against the bottom wall of the slot 54 and bias the free end of the hook 51 upwardly and out of the slot 54. In this position the upper surface of the hook 51 adjacent the pivoted end thereof bears against the stop surface 55b of the nose 550 at the left hand end of the upper portion 55 of the hook support block 53, as shown in FIG. 8. This is the normal position of the hook; and in this position, the exposed hook may grasp a line wire 24a of the wire fabric 24 which is to be coiled about the mandrels.

Where a double mandrel is employed, as in the embodiment of the invention presently being described, the wire recesses 62 defined by generally U-shaped portions of the hooks 51 are arranged to open toward the joint in the mandrel, as is clearly shown in FIG. 1. The leading edge of the wire fabric 24 lying on the table 41 may be raised manually or by suitable machinery against the surface of the two piece mandrel when the mandrel is closed. The two mandrel halves may then be opened slightly and thereafter returned toward each other to their fully closed or contacting position, this action causing the hooks 51 to receive and grasp a number of line wires 24a of the wire fabric. It will be appreciated, of course, that the various hook supports 53 will have been selectively positioned along the length of the mandrel such that the various hooks 51 are positioned to receive selected ones of the line wires of the particular wire fabric to be coiled. The hooks are, in other words, positioned to cooperate with the line wire spacing of the particular wire fabric to be coiled.

In FIG. 9 a line wire 24a of the wire fabric is shown about to be received in the hook recess 62, and in FIG. 10 the same line wire is shown received within the hook recess. During the initial portion of the fabric coiling operation the hooks 51 are pivoted outwardly to their normal positions by the resistance of the wire fabric to the coiling thereof and by the action of the springs 52. Preferably the hooks 51 are identical to each other and are so dimensioned and shaped that, when the body of a hook 51 is in contact with the stop surface 55b of its hook support 53, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 1-0, the overhanging upper inner planar surface 63 of the hook recess 62 slopes downwardly to the right as indicated by the phantom line 63a in FIG. 10. The angle of this slope with respect to the horizontal or with respect to the axis of the mandrel may, for example, be on the order of from 2 to 4 degrees, it being understood that the precise angularity is not critical. By virtue of this sloping orientation of the surface 63 when the finger or hook 51 is in its fully extended position, the outward force of the line wire 24a, resulting from its resistance to coiling, causes the wire to seek the left hand or closed end of the recess 62 during the first complete revolution of the mandrel and thus serves the important purpose of tending to prevent any line wire from becoming freed from its hook.

After the completion of one revolution of the mandrel, a continuation of the same line wire overlies the hook 51 and tends to cause inward pivotal movement of the hook to the position illustrated in FIG. 11 wherein the wire portion grasped by the hook bears against the outer cylindrical surface of the mandrel and prevents further inward pivotal movement of the hook. In this position of the hook 51, the plane of the surface 63 of the hook preferably is disposed approximately in a horizontal position or parallel to the axis of the mandrel, as indicated by the phantom line 63a in FIG. 11.

After the desired length of wire fabric has been coiled about the two piece mandrel and has been severed and the formed coil 24b has been tied, the two mandrel portions 25 and 27 may be drawn apart in the manner previously described to release the coil of fabric. During the initial portion of this stripping operation, the wire portions received within the several recesses 62 of the hooks 51 are readily extracted therefrom by virtue of the fact that the hook surfaces 63 are at that time all disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the mandrel, thereby having little tendency to drag the innermost convolutions of the line wires along the mandrel. The initial stripping movement is further facilitated by the fact that the uppermost surface 64 of each hook 51, upon which the second convolution bears (see FIG. 11), is planar and is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the plane of the surfaces 63. Thus, the free end of the line wire grasping portion of each hook 51 is slightly wedge shaped so that it may readily be withdrawn from between the first and second convolutions of the line wire when the associated mandrel portion is withdrawn in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 12. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the disposition of the line wire receiving recesses 62 with respect to the pivotal axes of their. respective hook members 51 also facilitates the disen-- gagement of the hooks from the innermost convolutions of the line wires 24a. In this regard it is pointed out that the mouth of the wire receiving recess 62 of each hook 51 opens not only in the direction opposite the direction of stripping movement of the mandrel (that is, opposite the direction of the arrow in FIG. 12), but also the mouth opens toward the axis about which the hook pivots. Thus, in FIGS. 8 to 12 it will be observed that the mouth of the wire receiving recess 62 faces in the direction toward the cylindrical body about the axis of which the entire hook element 51 pivots, and the mouth is also above that axis. This particular relationship is of importance and provides an important improvement espe cially when heavy gauge wire fabric is being wound, for if the walls of the recess 62 tend to bind upon the innermost convolution of the line wire 24a as the stripping begins, the free end of the hook unit 51 (the left end as viewed in FIG. 11) tends to be pivoted upwardly to relieve the grip of the recess on that convolution and avoid all tendency to bind or force the innermost convolution against the mandrel surface. This further insures that the innermost convolution of each line wire 24a will be cleanly released as the stripping of the formed coil from the mandrel begins.

As thestripping operation continues, a sloping surface 65, defining the left hand end of the hook as viewed in FIG. 11, engages successive line wires 24a of the wire fabric whereby the hook is cammed successively downwardly into the slot 54 (see FIG. 12) by the successive line wires to permit relative movement of the line wires past the hook. Accordingly, the hooks 51. in no Way interfere with the stripping of the coiled wire fabric from the associated mandrel. Neither does the stripping operation place any undesired stress on either the hooks or the wire fabric. It should be noted that the inner or left hand end of the sloping surface 65 always lies within the slot 54, below the cylindrical outer surface of the associated mandrel, whereby a line wire moving relatively past a hook 51 must always engage the sloping surface 65.

As the mandrel portions 25 and 27 are thus Withdrawn in a stripping operation, they are drawn freely through axial openings in the respective collars or brace plates 38 and 39, these collars preventing movement of the coiled Wire fabric with either of the mandrel portions and thereby assuring the stripping of the wire fabric therefrom. As the successive hooks 51 reach the stripping collar of the associated mandrel portion, the sloping surfaces 65 of the hooks successively come into contact with the mouths 33b and 39b of the axial openings in the plates or stripping collars, thereby progressively depressing the hooks 51 to clear the plates as they pass therethrough to the left, for example, as viewed in FIG. 5.

After the coiled Wire fabric has been stripped from the mandrel and removed from the coiling station, the mandrel portions 25 and 27 are moved back toward each other in preparation for another coiling operation. As the successive hooks 51 reach the associated stripping collar 38 or 39 they engage a cam member or bell 38a or 39a which are respectively secured to and form a part of the two stripping collars. As is clearly indicated in FIG. the bell 38a, like the bell 39a, cams the successive hooks inwardly so that they may pass by the narrow neck portion of the collar without interference. When the mandrel portions have been returned substantially to abutting position, the apparatus is in readiness for the next coiling operation.

In FIGS. 13 and 14 a somewhat different type of apparatus is shown by way of ilustrating the flexibility of the fabric securing means and its cooperation with the fabric coiling apparatus. In this embodiment of the invention a single pedestal 71 is mounted on a base 70 for pivotal movement about the axis of a vertical shaft 72. Pivotal movement of the pedestal may be controlled by a rack 73 and gear 74, the gear being secured to the shaft 72 which is, in turn, secured to the pedestal 71.

The pedestal rotatably supports a mandrel 75 that is driven by an electric motor 76 through chain and sprocket means generally designated 77, the motor 76 being mounted on the pedestal 71. A stripping collar 78 encircles the mandrel 75 and is arranged to be moved axially thereof, between the positions illustrated by solid lines and phantom lines in FIG. 13, by pneumatic apparatus generally designated 79. When the stripping collar 78 is in the position illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 13, and when the mandrel 75 is in the position illustrated by solid lines in FIG. 14, the apparatus is in condition for the ceiling of wire fabric thereon. After completion of a coiling operation and severance of the wire fabric, the rack and gear 73 and 74 may be operated to pivot the mandrel to the position illustrated by the phantom lines in FIG. 14. It will of course be appreciated by those skilled in the art that during the coiling operation the right hand end of the mandrel may be supported by a readily opened bearing, not shown in the drawing. Opening of this bearing and pivotal movement of the mandrel to the position illustrated by phantom lines in FIG. 14 frees the right hand end of the mandrel from obstruction so that the coil of wire fabric may be stripped therefrom.

The pneumatic apparatus 79 is then actuated to drive the stripping collar 78 along the mandre 75 from left to right to strip or push the coil 80 of wire fabric from the mandrel. Preferably a receiving bed or rack (not shown) is arranged to receive the coil of wire fabric as it is stripped from the mandrel.

In this latter form of apparatus for coiling wire fabric, the means for releasably securing the line wires at the leading end of the fabric to the mandrel may be substantially identical to that described above. A slot 81 is preferably provided in the mandrel 75, which slot may be identical to the slot 54 of the first described apparatus. It will be noted in FIG. 13 that all of the hooks 51 are so arranged that the recesses 62 thereof open to the right, in the direction of relative stripping movement of the coil of wire fabric. The stripping collar 78 may be seen in FIG. 13 to include a bell 78a identical to the bells 38a and 39a of the first described apparatus.

Means have now been described for releasably securing wire fabric to the mandrel of apparatus for coiling wire fabric, which means in no way interfere with the stripping of a coil of wire fabric from the mandrel, and are immediately available for a succeeding coiling operation upon completion of a stripping operation. It has been shown that the line wires of the fabric interlock with the hooks during the initial portion of the coiling operation but are freely withdrawn from the hooks during the stripping operation by virtue of the orientation of the hook surface 63 and the fact that the hooks are permitted to pivot outwardly of the associated mandrel substantially beyond the minimum distance required for engaging and grasping the line wires.

It should be noted that the hooks are so oriented as to engage line wires rather than cross wires. This arrangement is preferred since the line wires of a wire fabric are frequently of heavier gauge than the cross wires and accordingly are better able to withstand the holding forces required for the winding operation.

The apparatus for releasably securing the wire fabric to the mandrel may be used with existing fabric coiling apparatus, provided only that the mandrel be slotted to receive the hooks and hook supports. It is also desirable that the stripping collar or collars be provided with suitable means for camming the hooks inwardly during return relative movement of the mandrel and associated stripping collar.

The hooks 51 disclosed herein have wire receiving recesses opening in a direction generally toward the pivotal axes thereof, the advantages of this arrangement having been described above. It will be apparent, however, that these recesses may open in the opposite direction, as long as they open in the direction of relative coil stripping movement of the associated collar, and provided the fabric being wound is of sufficiently light gauge to avoid any substantial tendency of the innermost convolutions of the line wires to be bound in the recesses 62, against the surface of the mandrel by the compressive forces of the second and succeeding convolutions. The illustrated embodiment is preferred since it permits the desired changing orientation of the hook surface 63 described above, and the relationship between the mouth of the wire receiving recess and the pivotal axis of the finger unit insures a clean release of the innermost convolutions of the line wires of the fabric even when heavy gauge material is being wound. The illustrated pivotal connection between the hooks and hook supports is preferred in the interest of simplicity and economy. It will be apparent that these and other features of the apparatus described above may be substantially modified without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Accordingly, while there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for winding an open mesh wire web into a coil, comprising a winding mandrel having a longitudinally extending open slot in a winding surface thereof, means for rotating said mandrel, a plurality of longitudinally spaced hooks pivotally mounted within said slot, and means for selectively adjusting the position of each of said hooks longitudinally of said slot and independently of the others of said hooks, each of said hooks having a wire receiving recess therein opening toward an end of said mandrel, each of said hooks being pivotable with respect to said mandrel between an extended position wherein wires of the web may be respectively received within the wire receiving recesses of said hooks and a recessed position wherein said hooks will clear said wires to permit relative axial movement between said mandrel and a coil of the web wound thereabout.

2. In apparatus for coiling wire fabric including a mandrel defining a generally cylindrical surface and having an axially extending slot opening to said cylindrical surface, the combination comprising: means for rotating said mandrel to wind thereon a coil of the wire fabric, a collar adjacent an end of said mandrel, means for producing relative axial movement between said mandrel and said collar to strip the coil of fabric off of said mandrel in an axial direction, and means for releasably securing the leading end of the wire fabric to said mandrel during winding, said securing means comprising a plurality of hooks for grasping wires of the fabric, a plurality of hook support members adjustably positionable and releasably securable within said axially extending slot, said hooks being supported by said support members and pivotable with respect thereto about axes perpendicular to a plane defined by said slot and the axis of said mandrel, said hooks being pivotable outwardly of said slot in position to grasp wires of said fabric and being receivable substantially entirely within said slot to permit axial movement of said fabric and said collar thereover, and spring means urging said hooks outwardly of said slots, each of said hooks defining a wire receiving recess opening in the direction of relative mandrel stripping movement of said collar and having an edge opposite said recess opening so oriented that engagement of said collar and wire fabric by said edge cams said hook inward of said slot, said collar including a bell flaring outwardly in the direction opposite to relative mandrel stripping movement of said collar for engaging said hooks during relative return movement of said collar and camming said hooks inwardly of said slot.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said hook support members has a shoulder limiting pivotal movement of the associated hook outwardly of said slot, and wherein each of said hooks has a generally U-shaped portion defining a wire receiving recess opening generally toward the pivotal axis thereof as Well as in the direction of relative mandrel stripping movement of said collar, the outer arm of said U-shaped portion having an inner edge lying substantially parallel to the axis of said mandrel but sloping toward said mandrel toward the open side of said U-shaped portion when said hook bears against said shoulder.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein the outer edge of the outer arm of said U-shaped portion lies generally parallel to the axis of said mandrel but slopes toward said mandrel toward the open side of said U-shaped portion when said hook is pivoted outwardly of said slot.

5. In a reel for winding wire fabric, a winding mandrel, a plurality of anchoring hooks arranged at spaced intervals along the length of said mandrel for Winding engagement with fabric to be wound, means mounting said hooks on said mandrel for pivotal movement respectively about spaced parallel axes extending transversely with respect to the axis of said mandrel between operative winding positions in which they project outwardly from said mandrel and retracted positions in which they are recessed in said mandrel, a stop for each of said hooks mounted on said mandrel for limiting the movement of said hooks outwardly beyond said operative position, each of said hooks having a finger thereon projecting toward an end of the mandrel and under which finger a wire of the fabric is adapted to be received when said hook is in its said operative position, each of said fingers having a wire engaging surface on its underside which extends generally parallel to the axis of said mandrel but slopes toward said mandrel and toward the free end of said finger when said hook is in operative position and in engagement with its said stop, the slope of said surfaces on said undersides of said fingers serving to prevent the wires of said fabric from slipping from beneath said fingers when said hooks are in engagement with said stops.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein said finger of each hook projects generally toward the axis of pivotation about which the hook is pivoted.

7. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein said finger of each hook is wedge-shaped and has an outer surface which slopes toward said mandrel at all times when a wire of said fabric is beneath said finger.

8. In a reel for winding wire fabric, a winding mandrel, a plurality of anchoring hooks arranged at spaced intervals along the length of said mandrel for winding engagement with fabric to be wound, means mounting said hooks on said mandrel for pivotal movement respectively about spaced parallel axes extending transversely with respect to the axis of said mandrel between outermost engaging position in which they project fully outwardly from said mandrel and operative winding positions in which they project partially outwardly from said mandrel and retracted positions in which they are recessed in said mandrel, a stop for each of said hooks mounted on said mandrel for establishing the outermost engaging position of said hooks, each of said hooks having a finger thereon projecting toward one end of said mandrel and under which finger a wire of the fabric is adapted to be received when said hook is in its said engaging position, each of said fingers having a wire engaging surface on its underside for pressing an engaged wire toward the surface of said mandrel when said hook is in its said operative winding position, said wire engaging surface being positioned longitudinally along said mandrel away from the pivot axis of the associated hook in a direction away from said one end of said mandrel, whereby movement of said mandrel along the axis thereof in a direction away from said one end to move the engaged fabric wire from under the associated finger tends to pivot said hook from its said operative winding position toward its said outermost position and its said stop thus to move said wire engaging surface away from the engaged wire to release the wire from said mandrel.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8, and further comprising means resiliently biasing said hooks toward said stops and toward said outermost engaging positions and said operative winding positions, said finger of each of said hooks being wedge-shaped and each having an outer surface which slopes toward said one end of said mandrel at all times when an engaged wire is beneath said finger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,951,187 Dierking Mar. 13, 1934 2,025,890 Payne Dec. 31, 1935 2,420,936 Davis May 20, 1947 2,478,763 Kadish Aug. 9, 1949 2,971,719 Cochrane et al. Feb. 14, 1961 

